3 reasons why India need not worry despite Hardik Pandya being ruled out of the 2023 World Cup
Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has officially been ruled out of the remainder of the 2023 ODI World Cup. The vice-captain had sustained an injury to his ankle while trying to stop a delivery on his followthrough in the Men in Blue's win over Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
He was initially expected to be out for a few days and had reported to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore for recovery. However, the injury is deemed to be more serious than originally diagnosed, and as a result, the team management has sought a replacement in the form of pacer Prasidh Krishna.
Hardik issued a small statement on social media after his campaign was unfortunately cut short due to the injury.
"Tough to digest the fact that I will miss out on the remaining part of the World Cup. I'll be with the team, in spirit, cheering them on every ball of every game. Thanks for all the wishes, the love, and the support has been incredible. This team is special and I'm sure we'll make everyone proud," he wrote.
Team India still have at least three matches left in the campaign, which include two league-stage outings against South Africa and the Netherlands along with the knockout contests.
On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why India need not worry despite Hardik Pandya being ruled out of the 2023 World Cup.
#1 Both batting and bowling unit have been firing
The stars have aligned for Team India in the ongoing World Cup. They have recorded seven wins out of seven, becoming the first team to officially make it to the semi-finals.
Needless to say, a major part of India's unbeaten run has been the way that both the batting and bowling departments have performed. The top order, middle order, pace bowling, and spin bowling are operating at the peak of their prowess, which kept Hardik Pandya on the sidelines when he was part of the playing XI.
The all-rounder was only required to bat once in the tournament, that too just to apply the finishing touches in the run chase against Australia. Hardik did have a bigger role to play with the ball, claiming five wickets.
But, in Hardik's absence, Mohammed Shami has been influential with the ball. As a result, pace bowling is the least of Team India's worries heading into the business end of the World Cup.
The trio of Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah pose as arguably the best pace bowling attack of the tournament.
#2 Hardik's absence has not been felt so far
The team members, who also understand the importance of Hardik Pandya much like everyone else, have also stepped up accordingly.
When India were tested with the bat against England on a sluggish pitch in Lucknow, the middle order stepped up, with the likes of KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav scoring some important runs.
Even though Hardik's services were desperately needed when India were tottering at 164-5 with 13 overs still remaining in the innings, the lower-middle order chipped in to help the team post a par score.
Similarly, India had to go with only five bowlers against an in-form New Zealand batting unit, but Mohammed Shami stepped up with a five-wicket haul to restrict them to 273. Even in the run chase, when India were in a spot of bother, Ravindra Jadeja played a crucial innings down the order to help the side cross the line.
Hardik is still a vital cog of the team in terms of balance, but the team's current form, spirit, and ability to step up, have meant that they have not felt his absence.
With Hardik not set to play a role in the tournament, the hosts will have to ensure to keep performing in a way, which does not call for the presence of an all-rounder, and get the job done with specialists.
#3 Spares the team from a major selection headache
Team India have navigated through some challenging fixtures such as the ones against New Zealand and England without Hardik Pandya among their ranks.
A fit Hardik Pandya is a sure-shot candidate for the final playing XI. As a result, Team India would have had to tinker with their settled playing XI and drop one of the in-form pacers or Suryakumar Yadav, who is slowly settling into the playing after a difficult start and is an X-factor that may come in handy when the going gets tough for the top or middle order.
Now that Hardik is officially out of the picture, they can continue with the same settled playing XI. Ashwin is unlikely to be considered for the remaining matches taking into picture the venues and the form of the pacers.
Furthermore, the likes of Ishan Kishan and Prasidh Krishna are likely to be only considered should there be any other injury concerns in the first team.
Will Hardik Pandya be missed by Team India at the business end of the World Cup? Let us know what you think.